A care home in Dorset has been prosecuted and fined £70,000 for fire safety failings, which were identified after the death of a vulnerable resident
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) brought forward a prosecution against Portelet Manor care home in Boscombe, Dorset, following an incident that occurred on 19 June 2023.
At the time, a resident had been smoking in the premises’ designated smoking area and suffered “significant burns”. They died in the hospital 11 days later. DWFRS said they had not been called to the incident and, on being made aware, opened a fire safety investigation.
The company, Portelet Manor Limited, entered a guilty plea to an “offence contrary to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that put people at risk of death or serious injury”. The offence related to article 11, stipulating a failure “to ensure appropriate fire safety arrangements were in place”.
On 31 March 2026, at Poole Magistrates’ Court, the company was ordered to pay a fine of £70,000. Additionally, they were ordered to pay £22,000 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
Fire Safety Prosecution Manager for DWFRS, Tom Huntley, said: “Firstly, the thoughts of us all at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service remain with the loved ones, friends, and family of the person who tragically lost their life.”
He added that public safety was the fire service’s highest priority, with the court’s finding serving as a “clear message to everyone in Dorset and Wiltshire about the importance of fire safety.”
“We are fully committed to supporting businesses and Responsible Persons to ensure the safety of the public,” he said.
“However, where there is a failure to comply with legal requirements, DWFRS will pursue prosecution action where it is appropriate and in the public interest to do so. This case highlights the very serious consequences of failures in fire safety management.”